First Test: Bangladesh slip to 37/2 at tea as India take control
Chattogram (PTI): Pace duo of Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav reduced Bangladesh to 37 for 2 at tea after a stunning lower order fightback helped India take control of the opening Test against Bangladesh here on Thursday.
Siraj struck on the very first ball when he induced an edge off lefthander Najmul Hossain Shanto with an away going delivery.
Leading the pace department in absence of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, Yadav then reduced Bangladesh to 5 for 2 inside the fourth over after inducing an inside edge off Yasir Ali, who was playing away from his body.
But thereafter Litton Das calmed things down with his fluent drives and remained unbeaten on 24 off 26 balls.
At the break, Das and Zakir Hasan (9) were in the middle with Bangladesh trailing India by 367 runs with eight wickets in hand.
The opening session was all about Ravichandran Ashwin (58 off 113 balls, 2x4, 2x6) and Kuldeep Yadav, who made a perfect case for him as an allrounder in absence of Ravindra Jadeja, with a career-best 40 (114b; 5x4).
Playing his first Test after more than 22 months, Kuldeep extended a splendid support to Ashwin as the duo frustrated Bangladesh with an 87-run partnership for the eighth wicket.
The 28-year-old Kuldeep, who has a century and six fifties averaging 22-plus in first class cricket, got off the mark after 18 balls as he looked solid with his defence. His slog sweep and reverse sweep shots also caught the attention.
Ashwin, who has five Test centuries including four against the West Indies, showed a lot of composure and maturity en route to his 13th Test halfcentury.
The duo hardly took a foot wrong pushing India past the 400-mark after the visitors resumed the day at 278 for 6 and lost overnight batter Shreyas Iyer (86) with the addition of just four runs to his total.
Having batted India out of a tricky spot on the opening day, Iyer once again failed to get to a well-deserved hundred and got out with addition of just four runs to his overnight total.
Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan mostly employed his star spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz to go in tandem with pacer Khaled Ahmed but Ashwin hardly looked in any trouble.
He made his intent clear stepping down to Mehidy for a six. Luck also favoured Ashwin when he survived an 'umpire's call' after left-arm spinner Taijul Islam had him trapped in front of the legstump when he was on 34.
That pace spearhead Ebadot Hossain was taken out of the attack after his impressive spell of 4-1-7-1 in the morning also helped the Indian cause.
Kuldeep also oozed confidence as Ashwin was happy to take singles and give him the strike.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Correspondents' dinner firing: World leaders say political violence has no place in democracy
Washington (PTI): World leaders expressed relief that US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania and other guests were unharmed after a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' dinner here on Saturday night and asserted that political violence has no place in a democracy.
Reacting to the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was relieved that President Trump, First Lady Melania and Vice President J D Vance were safe and unharmed after a security incident at the White House Correspondents' dinner in Washington.
Modi said violence has no place in democracy and must be unequivocally condemned.
"Relieved to learn that President Trump, the First Lady and Vice President are safe and unharmed following the recent security incident at a Washington DC hotel. I extend my best wishes for their continued safety and well-being. Violence has no place in a democracy and must be unequivocally condemned," Modi said in a post on X.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has had frequent run-ins with Trump, described the shooting incident at the Washington Hilton hotel as a “disturbing event”.
“I am relieved that the President, the First Lady, and all guests are safe following reports of gunfire at the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington tonight. Political violence has no place in any democracy, and my thoughts are with all those who have been shaken by this disturbing event,” Carney said in a post on X.
President of the Republic of Korea, Lee Jae Myung asserted that political violence “can never be justified under any circumstances.”
“The Government of the Republic of Korea firmly opposes all forms of violence and extremism that erode the values of democracy and the rule of law,” he said in a social media post.
Prime Minister of Japan Sanae Takaichi said, “Violence must never be tolerated anywhere in the world”
“I am relieved to hear that President Trump is safe following the terrifying gunfire. Violence must never be tolerated anywhere in the world,” she posted on social media.
Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident “an attack on all the democracies.”
"This wasn't just an attack on Donald Trump. This was an attack on a candidate for the presidency of the United States. This was an attack on America. It was an attack on democracy, it was an attack on all the democracies,” he posted on social media.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said it was “good that President Trump and his wife are safe following the recent events”.
“We send them our respect. Violence must never be the way,” she said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was pleased to hear all attendees were safe. “We applaud the work of the Secret Service and law enforcement agencies for their swift action,” he said in a statement.
Delcy Rodriguez, the acting President of Venezuela following the capture of Nicolas Maduro by US forces, condemned the attack against Trump.
"We extend our best wishes to them and to all attendees of the Correspondent’s dinner. Violence is never an option for those who uphold the values of peace," she wrote on X.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also took to social media to condemn the incident, stating he was "deeply shocked" to hear the news.
"Relieved to know that President Trump, the First Lady, and other attendees are safe," Sharif said.
Trump has survived two assassination attempts over the past two years – first at a presidential election campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, and later in Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15, 2024.
